Washburn maynard



W. MAYN'ARD. Galvanio-Battery. No. 224,343. Patented Feb. l0, |880 7:uf STATES lINrTE Wassenaar MAYNAED. (oEEIoER UNITEn STATES NAVY or KNoXVILLE, TENN., AIssIeNoE To WALTE-a N. HILL, TRUSTEE, or NEwrouT, ETI.

eALlvANlc BATTERY. i

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,343, dated February 1 0, 1880.

Application med August 11,1s79.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TASHBURN MAYNARD, of Knoxville, Tennessee, and an otlicer in-the United Sta-tes Navy, have invented certain 5 new and useful vImprovements in Galvanic Batteries 5 and I do hereby declare that the following` specification, taken in connect-ion with the dra-wings furnished and forming a part thereof, is a true, clear, and complete de- Io seription ot my invention.

rIhe object ot my improvement is to attain in a galvanic battery ahigh electro-motive force with a low internal resistance, accompanied by steadiness, constancy, and durability.

M y invention is based upon what I believe to be my own discoverythat in a zinc and platinum battery grains of carbon, when arranged to surround and overlie the surfaces of the platinum plate in contact with the excitant fluid, operate as a depolarizing agent in preventing the accumulation of hydrogen onfthe surfaces of the negative plate; and I find that a battery with its platinum plate thus surrounded with carbon atl'ords far better results than can be attainedwith the same. negative plate without the carbon, or by the use of any other substance of which I have lfznowledge that has been heretofore used as a depolarizing agent.

3o I am well aware that carbon and coke in grains have been heretofore employed surrounding negative plates composed of materials other than platinum and its commonlyrated equivalents inv higlrgrade metals, and

3,D also that carbon in grains has been heretofore used with platinum and othcrhigh-gradc metal plates, but always in combination with per- "oxide of manganese, powdered sulphur, or other readily destructible and objectionable 4o matter, the use of which I seek to and have practically avoided. l

I do not include within the term carbon,77 as herein used by me, such forms thereof as bone charcoal, wood charcoal, anthracite coal,v

or colte, but limit myself to true retort-carbon and te such equivalent forms ot` carbon as will,

without the aid et' other matter mingled therewith, serve as a depolarizingagent for preventint;` the obstructive aceunmlation ot' hydrogen 5o on the exposed surfaces of the platinum plate.

serves with each as a valuable W'hile I ind that retort-carbon in grains, applied as described to various negative platessuch as platinum, gold, nickel, and silver-- agentfor the purpose stated, the best results attained by me have been with a plate ot' platinum.

My invention consists ot' a batte 'y for sin' gle lluid composed of a zinc positive and a platinum plate surrounded by a mass of retort-carbon in grains. 6o

In order that the mass ot' carbon, which is preferably arranged in cylindrical fornnnnty be equidistant at all points from the zinc, I preT fer that the latter be cylindrical in form.

Many of the well-known excitant fluids capable of use in a single-Huid battery have been employed byme in connection withaplatinum )late inclosed in Grains of carbon in accord l a 1 ance with my invention, and in each instancethe depolarizing effect is ot' a marked and 7o Valuable character; but the best results attained by me have been with the use of the well-known sal-ammoniac solution. With the sal-ammoniac solution the carbon in grains performs an important service in addition to the removal of hydrogen, in that the formation or development of free ammonia is to a Agreat degree prevented, thus obviating the undueproduetion of insoluble salts and the corrosion ofthe metal connections of the battery. 8o

For the purpose of more particularly describ ing my invention I will refer to the accompanying,` drawings, in which is shown a battery as preferably constructed and arranged by me, and in which" 8 5 Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent the battery' respectively in side elevation, central vertical section, and central horizontal section.

The battery shown embodies what I term a converse eell,'the saine being` vcomposed of 9o a cylinder of zinc, A, as a positive element, its insulating and protecting-jacket B, and its flexible cap G, said parts, as constructed and arranged, constituting no portion of my invention. A 9 5 The negative plate D is et platinum, provided with a neck, a, and the usual post-cony nection. The platinum plate D is preferably Sshaped in cross-section, as indicated in the sectional drawing, Fig. 3. roo

fnime, ne Shown.

E denotes fr incise et" retort-cerises; in grains, preferably ineloseil witliin n tnbn'lnr open-- ineen izibrie, and eurronmling the platinum The liner graine ot' carbon :ire preternlily arranged next the plete, the eonrser gre-ine ontlyinp; the line.

Tliereeeptneiefor the Gerben may be Woven or braided ne ny tebnlzir i'nvbrio, preferably eotteni or it niny be mede in the form et' e img or 'nny suitable weren fabric.

At tile bottoni oi' tile carbon"receptacle is it wooden .linens b, peripberienlly g'reorerl to eneble er streng'nnion of tile fabric therewith by ineens oi' twine. The Gerben should be well iniritieii bysninble treetinent---zisa for instance7 i prefer to wesh it successively with alliant@v innrintie anni, anni Weiler. l tlnd tlnitii" thel emilion be treated with niirie reid er with li,liroiinor1e eeitl, ite veine in this connection ie practically destroyed. e

lt will be readily understood that stateniente of ille nnrtienln-r resulte ineident to the nse 0I" tile rnrione exeitent liquids in eonneetion with zineeielnent nud platinum plete inni, enrnnn nnniied in eeeordmioe with my invention Wonld be mprzietieeble within the proper limits oi' this sneeitieiition7 nini i will therefore nnly describe the operation ot' the pertienlnr buttery shown, eentnining n siti-ninnioniee seintion.

it tire carbon elionlzl be removed from the linttery wliieii l here described, 'it Wenld ee reinlereil practically Wert-hiess.

is compared with n ninngnnese battery in- 'mlring the seine ferm anti eliairneter of imeii-ive element inni the naine excitant, tine dii'- erenees in resulte :ire rClearly nierlterl, My lenttery eperntee with tlie liberation of e, eeereeiyperceptible trece of ammonia, while in tile 'manganese battery the nnflne preeenee of free ninnioninis e weil-linown end verionelj; objeeiionnlile feature. The bell resalte follew ing the iiorelognnent of free eminonie ere inninlj; the iorinzition of ineolnble eelts et zine, nini. also tno injnrienr.'eerreeion et t-lie rnetnllie' eonneetiens,

ln the new battery tile eleetre-rnetire i'oree ir. eoinewiint lees than the manganese battery when 'this letter is freshly Started; but the 1nternzil reeietnnee is nineb iets in my battery., L

resulting inn grenter strength of current. On eliert eirenit the mnngnnese battery becomes polarized in about thirty seconds, decreasing in ite power nearly halt' during that time, while the new bntterfy(l on short circuit, does not become polarized to the seine extent for from tln'ee to tive minutes, this being n valuable feature in my battery. The manganese battery becomes exhausted with the eonsuinpJv tionot the mnngnnese., end its internal resistance increases :is insoluble salts collect, while in the new battery tbe internal resistance is quite nniforin. anni there no consumption other tiinn et' the exeitent liquid sind tiro positive element, anni that is no grentertbnn in other britte-ries.

' in the manganese buttery the negative elenient undergoes etrange from the Vdeoxidzition ot the manganese (oxide of,) whereas in my battery, so fer ns my observation has gone, tile enrbon experiences, no ebnnge or alteration.

My betterfvv ie long-lived, and by reason of its len' internal. renistenee een be connected with especial niiviintnge in serieeme feature not poesessefi ey any other britte/ries except tiione Wliieli nre snort-livelli, and require frequent renewal.

For maintaining tlie bettoni of the negative element in n central position within tile cell, it ie provided with. n lint rubber ring, as shown inthe tlrezringe.

H2L-ving tbne described my invention, I einiin ne new end desire to eeenre by Letters Patentum A gnlvnnie battery eoiniioeeil of n zine poeltive anni e platinum plate surrounded by fr mees otretort-enrbon in grains, tlieee elements eenetitnting e, complete battery for use with asnitnole excitant liquid, snbstnntielly es lleserie/eil,u

WAS ill@ URN MAYNA El). Witneesee;

it. tioennron, L Niawrnjit. 

